As known, devices required to internally generate a plurality of high voltages through charge pumps, such as in flash memories, at present comprise separate-unit pumps, which are virtually independent from each other. This does not permit efficient optimization of the device resources.
In particular, since the dimensions of the charge pumps are dependent, inter alia, on the current capacity they should supply, at present only a pump with a high current capacity is produced, which however functions intermittently, and the pumps supplying high output voltages to nodes with a high capacitive load are undersized, such that charging of the respective nodes is slow. In addition, the phase signal generation circuits necessary for the operation of the various pumps are replicated for each pump, thus giving rise to a large consumption of space and current, and a high level of noise.